2003 Saleen S7

 

The Saleen S7 is a cool, amazing, and insane supercar that is now often forgotten and overlooked. It first made its debut in 2000 by American manufacturer Saleen, who is also known for tuning Mustangs, and became the sixth-ever American mid-engine production sports car. In addition, the Saleen S7 is one of only a few rear mid-engine supercars to come from the U.S. Featured here is an early-model S7, which is powered by a naturally-aspirated 7.0-liter Ford Windsor V8 producing 550 horsepower and over 500 lb-ft of torque paired to a six-speed manual transmission. The naturally-aspirated S7 launches from zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and carries a top speed of 220 mph. The later model years of the Saleen S7 from 2005 to 2009 featured a twin-turbo V8 upgraded to 750 horsepower, launching from zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and capable of a 248 mph top speed. In addition, the S7 was relaunched from 2017 to 2019 as the S7 LM, making even more power and accelerating even faster than the twin-turbo model. 

At a mere 2850 pounds, the Saleen S7 is pretty lightweight, but longer than most midsize sedans with a length of 188 inches, accommodating a small trunk behind the engine bay. Its interior is adorned in leather and aluminum trim, but lacks certain creature comforts such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control. It also contained scissor doors, a backup camera, and a small front trunk, and every gill and vent on the car is functional and serves a purpose. At 160 mph, the Saleen S7 produces its own weight or more in downforce, practically allowing the vehicle to travel upside down at that speed. Its seats are fixed in place to emulate those of race cars and save weight. Unlike nearly every other vehicle, the fuel door on the Saleen S7 can only be accessed with a small key.

There are supposedly around 100 Saleen S7s in existence, but there could be more as well. Regardless, it is a rare exotic supercar that most people may not ever get to see up close. It was priced at $400,000 around when it was first introduced but has appreciated steadily ever since. I saw the example featured here in the flesh at a Ford dealer not too far from me, but not too close to me either. This happened over three months ago, but the Ford dealer that I went to see it at still has it for sale priced at $590,000. Before I heard about this particular S7 up for sale not too far from me, the last time I saw a Saleen S7 up close was at the LA Auto Show seven years ago. In all, the Saleen S7 is an amazing, incredibly cool, and underrated supercar that deserves more attention and recognition from the car community and the general public.

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